One of the things I most love about medicine is the multitude of choices we have to create our careers. Primary care or specialty medicine? Academia or private practice? Urban or rural communities? The choices can feel overwhelming, especially because I can envision myself in so many different settings. While our medical school is excellent at providing clinical-exposure opportunities for us to explore all of our options, I also often find myself turning to social media to get a glimpse into the lives of real doctors and how they directed their careers.
While doctors are frequently glamorized and dramatized in pop culture, the advent of social media has allowed physicians to reclaim the narrative about what it’s truly like to have a career in medicine. Platforms like Instagram and Snapchat have become popular among doctors to display their work, in many ways serving as a valuable marketing tool to connect to future patients. Many doctors also use social media as a chance to showcase the balance they’ve achieved on a personal level, sharing stories on anything from romantic relationships and raising a family, to finding time for self-care.
Personally, I find it inspiring to connect to these physicians and learn from them, whether it’s insights into their particular specialty or reflections about life. Below, I have included profiles on several doctors who have mastered the art of sharing their hard-earned wisdom with the world.
Sheila Nazarian, MD, MMM. Plastic Surgery. @drsheilanazarian
Dr. Nazarian is a plastic surgeon based in Beverly Hills, California. Not only is she a talented surgeon and assistant professor of surgery at the University of Southern California, she’s also a mother and entrepreneur with her own skincare line. Dr. Nazarian wields multiple Instagram accounts to share both her surgeries and her highly aspirational personal life.
Cassondra Majestic, MD. Emergency Medicine. @dr.majestic_md
Dr. Majestic is an emergency medicine physician based in Orange County, California. She frequently posts recaps of interesting cases she encounters in the ER and dispenses thoughtful advice for students at all stages of their medical education. A big proponent of wellness, Dr. Majestic often shares her tips and tricks for staying healthy while being so busy.
Rishi Kumar, MD. Anesthesiology. @rishimd
Dr. Kumar is an anesthesiologist currently doing a combined fellowship in critical care medicine and adult cardiothoracic anesthesiology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital at Harvard Medical School. An avid educator, Dr. Kumar’s Instagram offers a humorous take on the more technical aspects about anesthesiology and critical care medicine, often presented as memes.
Laura Scott, MD. Dermatology. @lauralacquer
Dr. Scott is a dermatology resident at the University of Miami. Dr. Scott began a successful blog while she was a medical student that she continues to run and promote on her Instagram. Married to an ophthalmology resident, with three young daughters, Dr. Scott’s Instagram is full of posts about how she balances residency with her very involved family life. She and her beautiful family were just featured on the June 2018 cover of Parents magazine.
Catherine Begovic, MD. Plastic Surgery. @beautybydrcat
Dr. Cat is a plastic surgeon based in Beverly Hills, California. With over one million followers on Instagram, she has become a powerhouse among the wave of plastic surgeons who have turned to social media to market their business. Dr. Cat is famous for using Snapchat and Instagram to film her surgeries as a marketing and education tool. She also frequently shares advice about how to “have it all” while balancing her demanding career with being a wife and mother.
Zubin Damania, MD. Internal Medicine. @zdoggmd
Dr. Damania is an internal medicine physician based in Las Vegas, Nevada. With an enormously popular website and widespread social media presence, Dr. Damania, or ZDogg, is as famous for his hilarious parody videos (the Medimoji videos are my personal favorite) as he is for his insightful discussions into the changing healthcare landscape.
Kylie Jenkins is a medical student in the Class of 2021. She graduated from Barrett, the Honors College at Arizona State University with an economics degree and briefly worked as an analyst before beginning medical school. She is a notorious speed reader and loves writing, bouts of intense physical activity, and planning her next vacation.